This section is intended to provide background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the described embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light and not as admissions of prior art.
In drilling and completing wells, such as for mineral (e.g., oil and gas) extraction systems and/or for fluid transport systems, casing hangers are designed to support the weight of associated casing strings by landing on a seat within a wellhead housing. The casing hanger is then locked in position by urging a split ring carried on a lockdown sleeve into a recess on the interior wall of the wellhead housing to prevent upward movement of the casing hanger. The lockdown sleeve can be installed on top of the casing hanger inside the wellhead housing, to resist upward thrust loads caused by thermal expansion of the casing string and annulus pressure buildup around the casing string. Some lockdown sleeves require running a measurement tool, such as a lead impression tool, into the wellhead housing to determine the spacing between the casing hanger and the wellhead housing, so that the lockdown sleeve can be adjusted to securely fit the recesses in the wellhead housing. Determining this spacing may require a costly trip in and out of the wellhead housing such as through a riser pipe prior to running the lockdown sleeve.